Forest Service officials announced on June 15th that The Rainbow Family of Living Light has chosen to hold their 2017 Annual Rainbow Gathering on the Malheur National Forest, on the Blue Mountain Ranger District. The gathering site will be located at the Flagtail Meadow off of Forest Service Road 24 near the towns of John Day and Seneca, Oregon. The Rainbow Gathering could draw anywhere from 10,000 -- 30,000 people. Participants are beginning to arrive and officials expect the attendance to peak the week of July 4th. The Rainbow Family is a loose-knit group of people without leadership or organization who participate in a national gathering once a year. Attendees come from across the country. Since 1972, the event has taken place on a different national forest during a two-week period surrounding the Fourth of July holiday. The Forest is working closely with the local community to raise awareness about the event and plan accordingly before the majority of participants arrive. Ensuring public safety, minimizing impacts to local communities, and protecting natural resources will be the top priorities.

[[{"fid":"42997","view_mode":"fs_width_0848px","fields":{"format":"fs_width_0848px","field_fs_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_fs_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_fs_image_caption[und][0][value]":"Ryan Nehl, Deputy Forest Supervisor on the Malheur National Forest and Agency Administrator for the 2017 National Rainbow Gathering stands next to a bus on the final day of Spring Council Meeting. Forest Service photo.","field_fs_image_copyright_notice[und][0][value]":"","field_fs_image_credit[und][0][value]":"Forest Service photo","field_fs_internal_notes[und][0][value]":""},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"fs_width_0848px","field_fs_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_fs_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_fs_image_caption[und][0][value]":"Ryan Nehl, Deputy Forest Supervisor on the Malheur National Forest and Agency Administrator for the 2017 National Rainbow Gathering stands next to a bus on the final day of Spring Council Meeting. Forest Service photo.","field_fs_image_copyright_notice[und][0][value]":"","field_fs_image_credit[und][0][value]":"Forest Service photo","field_fs_internal_notes[und][0][value]":""}},"attributes":{"height":"620","width":"848","class":"media-element file-fs-width-0848px","data-delta":"1"},"link_text":false}]]